Get out your highlighter, pen, and thinking cap for the book I’m about to present to you. Remember when teachers told you to put on your “thinking cap?” Or, maybe that term is going to reveal how old I am. I digress. The book I’m presenting to you is I, by Waeil Borhan. Yes, you read that correctly, the book is called “I.” And, after you read this book, if you’re like me, you’ll think the author is brilliant for creating a book titled I.
I Is For You, Me, And Our Fellow Human Beings
When I first read the title, I had no clue what I was in for. Then I read on and discovered what the title represents (and I hope I don’t butcher it, because this author deserves applause and more). The full title of the book is I: Dare To Search For Your Questions, Dare To Face Them, And Dare To Live Authentically By Your Own Answers! According to the back of the book cover, “This book is about YOU and it’s about civilization. This book is not about religion . . . This book especially aims to propose a new civilizational order. This proposal needs a Hero who can adopt it and turn it into reality. YOU are that HERO.”
Part One is “Self-Centeredness” and Part Two is “God-Centrism.” Throughout the entire book, Waeil Borhan presents you with several fascinating points, some you may agree with and others you may not, and he’s okay with that. He wants you to ask yourself questions and provide your own answers. The book pushes you to ask yourself deep questions and possibly face some difficult issues. But, hopefully, what results is growth and betterment of one’s self and civilization.
Prepare For Discomfort . . . But That’s A Good Thing
The author even admits he wants to “push you out of your comfort zone. I (the author) am trying to alert you to your responsibilities, and open your mind to think outside the box for solutions for us all, your fellow-humans. A place of responsibility is never a comfort zone” (Borhan, 2017, p. 37). And, he does challenge you. I think this book could even become the basis for an entire college course. I would take it in a heartbeat.
One idea of Borhan’s struck a chord with me. Actually, many of his ideas struck a chord, but I’ll present the following one. He talks about the stock market crash of 1929 being a symptom of something else—it was a symptom of a disease. And, what is the disease? Greed. The author also points to a “civilizational cancer” (Borhan, 2017, p. 40) that is spreading. To treat the disease, we need to find a cure. And, human beings are the ones that can do that! And, that can begin with you, me, and our fellow human beings.
Other sections that may also shock: “The Worst Kind of Idolatry: Praying to God while Worshipping the Self” and “Luxury.” The “Luxury” section discusses one’s relationship with beauty, and it’s probably not what you think. For example, Borhan says, “. . . how do we know whether our appreciation of beauty is nourishing our soul, or providing a tool of competition for the Ego?” (Borhan, 2017, p 107).
This is definitely a book that some readers will want to read more than once to fully grasp the lessons at hand. I hope I conveyed enough to show how brilliant this book is. I truly think this book is one of those books that you’ll have many “Aha!” moments.
I could definitely see this book being an excellent choice for a Christmas gift! You can purchase the book on Amazon. The book is available in paperback for $22.46 and the Kindle version is $9.99 (prices subject to change).
Connect with Waeil Borhan: Amazon